organizational behavior chapter 1
Group ________ is the extent to which members of a group support and validate one another at work. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-cohesion -Group cohesion is the extent to which members of a group support and validate one another at work. In other words, a cohesive group is one that sticks together.
The discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee's formal job requirements, and that contributes to the psychological and social environment of the workplace, is called ________ behavior. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
- citizenship -The discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee's formal job requirements, and that contributes to the psychological and social environment of the workplace, is called citizenship behavior.
Which of the following does systematic study use to look at relationships to attribute causes and effects? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
- scientific data -Systematic study looks at relationships to attribute causes and effects, and bases the conclusions on scientific evidence, that is, on data gathered under controlled conditions and measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner.
Gould Furniture is one of the leading furniture companies in Indonesia. In the past, the company had a homogeneous workforce of Indonesian employees. The company is desperate to cut operating and manufacturing costs and hence is considering outsourcing part of the manufacturing process to low-cost Taiwan. However, local community leaders across the country are opposing this decision strongly. They believe that exporting jobs to other countries is detrimental to their country in every way possible. Which of the following, if true, is the flaw in the local community leaders' opinion? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-Correct The furniture market contributes to 20 percent of deforestation in the country. -In a global economy, jobs tend to flow where lower costs give businesses a comparative advantage, though labor groups, politicians, and local community leaders see the exporting of jobs as undermining the job market at home. Managers face the difficult task of balancing the interests of their organization with their responsibilities to the communities in which they operate. In this scenario, the furniture market contributing to 20 percent of deforestation in the country is a flaw in the local community leaders' opinion because exporting jobs to other countries would prevent deforestation in their country. The country having one of the lowest rates of employment in Asia strengthens the local community leaders' opinion. 85 percent of Indonesia's revenue coming from agriculture and the government of Indonesia providing substantial subsidies to start-up companies is irrelevant to the argument about exporting jobs being detrimental to the development of the country. Gould Furniture having alliances with local furniture companies in Taiwan weakens the local community leaders' opinion.
What is group cohesion? Correct Answer:
-Group cohesion is the extent to which members of a group support and validate one another at work. In other words, a cohesive group is one that sticks together. When employees trust one another, seek common goals, and work together to achieve these common ends, the group is cohesive; when employees are divided among themselves in terms of what they want to achieve and have little loyalty to one another, the group is not cohesive.
Why do only a few absolutes apply to organizational behavior? Correct Answer:
-Human beings are complex, and few, if any, simple and universal principles explain organizational behavior. Since we are not alike, our ability to make simple, accurate, and sweeping generalizations is limited. For instance, two people often act very differently in the same situation, and the same person's behavior changes in different situations. Not everyone is motivated by money, and people may behave differently at a religious service than they do at a party. That does not mean, of course, that we cannot offer reasonably accurate explanations of human behavior or make valid predictions. It does mean that OB concepts must reflect situational, or contingency, conditions.
Why is it important to complement intuition with systematic study in our attempts to understand behavior within organizations? Correct Answer:
-It is important to complement intuition with systematic study to understand behavior within organizations in order to make accurate predictions of behavior. Underlying this systematic approach is the belief that behavior is not random. Rather, one can identify fundamental consistencies underlying the behavior of all individuals and modify them to reflect individual differences. The systematic study of behavior is a means to making reasonably accurate predictions. Systematic study involves looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing our conclusions on scientific evidence, that is, on data gathered under controlled conditions and measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner.
Melissa Woods was recently hired as the campaign manager at an environmental organization. She has a degree in environmental sustainability and possesses substantial knowledge about the issue of global warming. She has the knowledge to lead the public relations team of the organization. However, a few months later, the board of directors of the organization expressed dissatisfaction with Melissa's performance and asked her to resign. Which of the following, if true, best explains this situation? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-Melissa had weak interpersonal and networking skills to run the project. -The ability to understand, communicate with, motivate, and support other people, both individually and in groups, defines human skills. Many people are technically proficient but poor listeners, unable to understand the needs of others, or weak at managing conflicts. Since managers get things done through other people, they must have good human skills. Though Melissa had substantial knowledge about the issue of global warming, her weak interpersonal and networking skills explain why she was unable to lead the public relations team efficiently. Melissa having no prior experience in research and development plays no role in explaining why she was unable to lead the public relations team. Melissa focusing on the results her team achieved rather than how they achieved them does not indicate her underperformance in any way. In addition, Melissa not being up-to-date about the feasibility of using different modes of renewable energy indicates a lack of theoretical knowledge and not the inability to lead a public relations team. Melissa having a diverse network of contacts established from her previous job works against the situation because it would actually help Melissa in her job.
________ seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans and other animals. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-Psychology -Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans and other animals. Those who have contributed and continue to add to the knowledge of OB are learning theorists, personality theorists, counseling psychologists, and, most important, industrial and organizational psychologists.
Which of the following is an example of an ethical dilemma? Answer: feedback:
-Should I play politics to advance my career? - Employees are increasingly facing ethical dilemmas and ethical choices in which they are required to identify right and wrong conduct.
Which of the following is a difference between sociology and psychology? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-Sociology studies people in relation to their social culture whereas psychology focuses on the individual. -While psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social environment or culture.
What is citizenship behavior? Correct Answer:
-The discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee's formal job requirements, and that contributes to the psychological and social environment of the workplace, is called citizenship behavior. Successful organizations need employees who will do more than their usual job duties - who will provide performance beyond expectations. In today's dynamic workplace, where tasks are increasingly performed by teams and flexibility is critical, employees who engage in "good citizenship" behaviors help others on their team, volunteer for extra work, avoid unnecessary conflicts, respect the spirit as well as the letter of rules and regulations, and gracefully tolerate occasional work-related impositions and nuisances.
Samantha Reeves works as a sales manager at Synergy Bank. Explain the nature of tasks she would be performing according to Mintzberg's concept of leadership role. Correct Answer:
-The leadership role comprise hiring, training, motivating, and disciplining employees. If Reeves undertakes the leadership role, she would be hiring sales executives and other team members. She would also be training them on product knowledge and motivating them to reach their sales targets. In addition she would be disciplining employees to follow rules and regulations and the code of conduct of the organization.
According to Mintzberg, how does the monitor role differ from the disseminator role? Correct Answer:
-The monitor role involves collecting information from external organizations and institutions, typically by scanning the news media including the Internet, and talking with other people to learn of changes in the public's tastes, what competitors may be planning, and so forth. On the other hand, the disseminator role comprises transmitting information received from outsiders or from other employees to members of the organization.
One major study area of social psychology is change, how to implement it, and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-True -Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology, blends concepts from both psychology and sociology to focus on peoples' influence on one another. One major study area of social psychology is change, how to implement it, and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance.
The job of a guest relations executive at a hotel is a kind of service job. Correct Answer: Response Feedback: .
-True -Today, the majority of employees in developed countries work in service jobs, including 80 percent in the United States. Service jobs include technical support representatives, fast-food counter workers, sales clerks, waiters and waitresses, and nurses among others
________ is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-anthropology -Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.
The concept of "reflected best-self" involves ________. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-asking employees to think about when they were at their personal best in order to exploit their strengths. -Positive organizational scholars have studied a concept called "reflected best-self" asking employees to think about when they were at their "personal best" in order to understand how to exploit their strengths.
Raymond Mayer is conducting a study on discrimination against campaign activists based on gender. In his study, he noted that male executives who visited Indonesian villages to promote the use of renewable energy received a highly positive response. In contrast, women who visited the same villages, received an antagonistic response from them. However, Mayer stated that his findings only applied to villages. In this study, the presence of a village is considered a ________ variable. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-contingency -Contingency variables are variables that moderate the relationship between two or more variables. For example, an OB study can say x leads to y, but only under conditions specified in z. Humans are unpredictable in nature and thus, all organizational behavior studies must have contingency variables.
________ variables are variables that moderate the relationship between two or more variables. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-contingency -Contingency variables are variables that moderate the relationship between two or more variables. For example, an OB study can say x leads to y, but only under conditions specified in z. Humans are unpredictable in nature and thus, all organizational behavior studies must have contingency variables.
Which of the following functions do managers undertake as part of planning functions? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-defining an organization's goals -The planning function encompasses defining an organization's goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals, and developing a comprehensive set of plans to integrate and coordinate activities.
Managers who oversee the movement of jobs to countries with low-cost labor are most likely to ________. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-face opposition from labor groups -In a global economy, jobs tend to flow where lower costs give businesses a comparative advantage, though labor groups, politicians, and local community leaders see the exporting of jobs as undermining the job market at home. Managers face the difficult task of balancing the interests of their organization with their responsibilities to the communities in which they operate.
Ellen Ortiz works as a sales manager at a telecom firm. The company has recently launched a new product in the market. Her work in the next few weeks involves sharing knowledge about the product with her team members. She will also need to inspire them to reach their sales targets, and clarify any doubts about the new product. Which of the following roles is Ortiz playing? Answer: Response Feedback:
-leader -A leadership role comprises hiring, training, motivating, and disciplining employees.
Austin Reed is a graduate student helping to organize a study on individual job satisfaction. The study focuses on the top five causes of satisfaction or dissatisfaction on the job. His department is surveying 200 individuals in 100 different types of organizations. Austin is most likely a graduate student in the department of ________. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-psychology -Because Austin's study focuses on the causes of individual job satisfaction, he is most likely conducting the study through the department of psychology. Psychology is defined as a the science which seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans and it focuses on the individual.
Which of the following fields of study is most likely to involve studying organizational culture, formal organization theory and structure? Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-sociology -Sociologists study organizational culture, formal organization theory and structure, organizational technology, communications, power, and conflict.
The role of a(n) ________, according to Mintzberg's classification of managerial roles, is to transmit information to outsiders about an organization's plans, policies, actions, and results and one which serves as an expert in the organization's industry. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-spokesperson -According to Mintzberg's classification of managerial roles, the role of a spokesperson is to transmit information to outsiders about an organization's plans, policies, actions, and results and one which serves as an expert in the organization's industry.
Analyzing relationships, determining causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence, all constitute aspects of ________ study. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-systematic -Systematic study means looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing the conclusions on scientific evidence, that is, on data gathered under controlled conditions and measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner.
In order to predict human behavior, it is best to supplement intuitive opinions with information derived from ________. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-systematic study -To make good OB decisions it is important to use evidence to supplement intuition and experience. Evidence should come through systematic study, which involves looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence, that is, on data gathered under controlled conditions and measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner.
An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit composed of two or more people. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-true -An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit, composed of two or more people, that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals.
A way for managers to respond to the problem of unethical behavior is to provide in-house advisors who can be contacted anonymously. Correct Answer: Response Feedback:
-true -Managers and their organizations are responding to the problem of unethical behavior in a number of ways. They are writing and distributing codes of ethics to guide employees through ethical dilemmas. They are offering seminars, workshops, and other training programs to try to improve ethical behaviors. They are also providing in-house advisors who can be contacted, in many cases anonymously, for assistance in dealing with ethical issues.
